Lord Of The Rings: Return of the King Walkthrough :

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Walkthrough - Gandalf Guide

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King(GBA)
Gandalf guide v1.0 by Neonjohn779
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Table of Contents Search
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-1- Introduction (i.n)
-2- Playing Gandalf (p.g)
-3- Stat analysis (s.a)
-3a- Magic Stats (m.g)
-3b- Melee Stats (m.l)
-4- Gandalf's Skills (g.s)
-4a- Active (g.a)
-4b- Passive (g.p)
-5- Adventure walkthrough (a.w)
-5a- Boss/Miniboss guide (b.g)
-6- Items (i.t)
-6a- Runes & Whetstones (r.w)
-7- Version History (v.h)
-8- Wrap-up (w.u)
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Introduction
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First off: THIS GUIDE HAS SPOILERS IN IT!!!
This FAQ was created to give you an inside look on RotK's famous wizard, no not
that idiot Saruman but Gandalf the White, and help you with your strategies
when playing as him. Oh, and I also had a nauseatingly huge amount of free time
tonight and I wanted to share my findings with the Grey[white] Pilgrim.
Alright, let's kick some orc butt!
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Playing Gandalf
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When you decide to play as Gandalf, you must make a choice to either go melee
or go magic. It would be a bad idea to try both at the same time, because the
skill/stat distribution wouldn't be concentrated enough- you'll end up with a
diverse but weak character. Of course, brave players could try this and very
well succeed; it will just be more difficult early on. This guide will not
cover a half-magic, half-melee Gandalf. It may in the future, but the vast
majority of new Gandalf players will definately pick a side.
-Magic Pros-
o Very strong area-effect magic later on
o Distance attacks keep you away from harm
o Quick & easy Crebain slaughter
o Handles Ringswraiths(Nazgul) very well
-Magic Cons-
o Eats up SP very quickly early on
o Fairly weak defense
o Gets hit often with arrows, etc...
-Melee Pros-
o Good damage; Gandalf uses two weapons
o Not as much SP is needed
o Can use 'power up' Active Skills(Sword of Power, Shield etc.) very well
-Melee Cons-
o Though not as bad as magic Gandalfs(gandalves? gandalfi?), defense is weak
due to no shield
o Gets eaten alive by Ringwraiths like most melee characters do on harder
difficulties
Neither side is necessarily "better" than the other, but if you want my
opinion, I must honestly say I enjoyed playing as a magic Gandalf more than a
melee one. Regardless, it's your game and your Gandalf, so choose however you
want.
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Stat Analysis
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This is where you come for advice on how you should develop your Gandalf's
primary stats.
Analysis of stats will go like this:
Name: Self-explanatory
Usefulness: How many points you're recommended to place per level.
Simple.
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Magic Gandalf Stats
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Strength: Increases minimum and maximum damage by 1 every 5 or so points.
Increases HP by 1 every point. This stat isn't really needed for a magic
Gandalf. In fact, you can ignore it entirely and go just fine. When/if you ever
max out courage, health and defense, you can work on this to bring your HP up a
tad.
Accuracy: Increases your to hit by 1% per level. This is of even less
importance than strength- at least that gives health. Accuracy gives squat. For
an absolutely pure magic Gandalf, you don't even need to touch it.
Health: Increases HP by 4 and SP by 1 per level. While working on courage, it's
fine to place a point or two in this stat to keep up your life so you don't
fall far behind(get killed in like two hits, etc...) as you go through the
game. After maxing courage, work on this to bring your SP further up a little
bit, and your life too.
*Defense: Raises your defense by 1% per level. After maxing courage, you can
work on this a bit while maxing health so enemies don't hit you every single
time, since you don't have a shield. Of course, you're trying to not even get
hit at all with a magic Gandalf so it's not that important if you neglect it.
Courage: By far the most important stat. It's like ammo in a shooter game-
without it, you're a sitting duck. If you don't shoot this stat through the
roof quickly, then prepare to play a very boring Gandalf who sits around all
day waiting to recuperate his SP. Now don't feel pressured to put EVERY single
point you get into courage; it's okay to put some extras in defense or health.
*Defense does not show on the stat screen. But yes, it DOES work. Higher
defense means an enemy will hit you less. It's basically just like shield block
and dodge.
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Melee Stats
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Strength: Important for increasing your damage. Every 5 or so points will give
you an extra 1 damage. Also, each point in strength gives you 1 life. It's not
your most important stat, but it is useful.
Accuracy: This is NEEDED almost as much as courage is NEEDED for a magic
Gandalf. What good is that super-powerful weapon of yours if you're only
hitting air? Put 3-5 points per level in accuracy.
Health: Each point in health brings up your life by 4 and your spirit by 1.
Gandalf does not have the HP-boosting Hardy skill that other characters have,
but he has the Shield spell to make up for it. So it's ok to only place one
point per level in health, or none sometimes.
*Defense: This is where you place extra points. Defense will help greatly in
countering your opponent's accuracy since you can't have a shield.
Courage: Not needed very often. As you place occasional points in health, your
SP will slowly rise. If you have extra points to spare and you feel comfortable
with your other stats, then you can dump them in courage so you can cast your
defensive spells with a bit more leeway.
*Defense does not show on the stat screen. But yes, it DOES work. Higher
defense means an enemy will hit you less. It's basically just like shield block
and dodge.
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Gandalf's Skills
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This list provides an in-depth look on Gandalf's 15 Skills. They're divided
into two sections: Passive(always in effect) and Active(skills that you cast)
The format goes like this...
Name: Includes SP cost if any.
Description: The in-game description of the skill.
Usefulness: What it does, how well it works, etc...
Magic points: How many points should be placed if you're using a magic Gandalf.
Melee points: How many points should be placed if you're using a melee Gandalf.
[Active Skills](g.a)
-Sword of Power- 50 SP
Gandalf's sword is struck by lightning. +3 damage per level for 8 seconds per
level.
A neat skill to have. Doing almost 30 damage for 48 seconds when maxed with
Wisdom and Secret Fire, it can actually be quite useful to lay waste to boss
enemies. Early on, however, it kinda sucks. After you finish maxing this skill,
it really starts to shine in boss battles. If you're a magic Gandalf, it's
entirely useless though.
Magic points: 0 or 1 just because it's a cool skill.
Melee points: 0 or 1 point early, max later if desired.
-Lightstrike- 60 SP
Gandalf creates a beam that does 10 damage per level. Does splash damage at
level 5.
This can be useful to kill Crebain even when at a low level- they don't exactly
have massive HP. At high levels with maxed Wisdom and Secret Fire however, this
can wreak havoc on orcs and Nazgul alike. The splash damage is icing on the
cake.
Magic points: Max as soon as possible!
Melee points: 1 or 2 points to kill Crebain and the Nazgul at the Black Gate.
-Shield- 80 SP
Gandalf is surrounded by a protective shield. Starts at 30 HP, plus an extra 20
HP per level.
A great skill to have. It's almost like recastible life! It usually
lasts(time-wise) for the duration of several skirmishes, too, and can easily be
recast when it wears off or shatters. The shield has about 130 HP when maxed
with Secret Fire. Doesn't sound like much, but in essence, you're saving
yourself about 30 points in health that could go to other stats.
Magic points: Raise and eventually max if desired to ward off pesky orc arrows.
Melee points: Definitely max when you can.
-Blinding Aura- 75 SP
Nearby foes takes 10 damage, +2 per level and are blinded for 3 seconds, +2 per
level.
As a magic Gandalf, it's useless because you don't WANT to be nearby any foes!
However as a melee Gandalf, it could be useful for a small bit of damage and
the lengthy blinding moment(over 10 seconds when maxed which is very nice). The
actual aura doesn't last too long though.
Magic points: 0.
Melee points: Raise and max if desired.
-Summon Gwaihir- 150 SP
Summons the giant eagle. Starts at 3 swoops, +1 per level and +6 damage per
level.
A fairly decent attack. When maxed with Wisdom and Secret Fire, it can do up to
about 380 damage if all the swoops hit. Of course, you'll be very lucky to get
even most of them to hit, but it's still quite a bit of damage getting dished
out all by itself, while you help out with your Lightstrikes or sword swipes.
The large SP cost isn't an issue for a magic Gandalf since it can be
regenerated quickly by the time you get this skill to a respectible level. A
melee Gandalf might have some trouble with the SP, though.
Magic: Max later if you want, it's your choice.
Melee: See above.
-Herbal Healing- 0 SP
Gandalf uses Kingsfoil Herbs to heal himself. Cannot be improved.
I suggest putting this to a "quick skill" or turning on Auto Heal so you can
heal while fighting.
[Passives](g.p)
-Blademaster-
You are a master with swords and knives. +1 damage per level.
As a melee Gandalf, you can use this to raise your damage and save strength
points while pumping accuracy early on. For a magic Gandalf however, it's
entirely useless.
Magic: 0 points.
Melee: Max at your leisure.
-Keen Eyes-
Your vision is unmatched. You find 5% more gems and better items per level.
Heh, I thought Legolas was the one with the uber vision. Whatever. Anyway, this
is a nice skill to put spare/bought points into. It's not your best skill, but
it's still good to have. For both types of Gandalf, 2 or 3 points as you go is
good. Max it later.
-Herb Lore-
You understand the secrets of herbs. Herbs heal an additional 10 HP per level.
Not too good of an investment early on. However, at high levels when you have a
lot of HP and take a lot more damage from enemies, it really comes in handy to
get the most out of your mere 10 maximum herbs. 0 or 1 points early on(below
lvl 20), max later, for both types of Gandalf.
-Luck-
You are incredibly fortunate. Adds +1 to all attributes per level.
Hey, an extra +6 HP, +5 SP, 1 defense, 1 accuracy and possibly 1 damage a level
ain't too shabby. It's one of those skills that you don't need to really focus
on; it's more of a "spare point" skill. For both types of Gandalf, 2 or 3
points early on is sufficient; maxing later is recommended but not mandatory.
-Spirit of Middle Earth-
You can regenerate SP faster. +20% spirit regeneration per level.
For a magic Gandalf this is a MUST-HAVE skill; without it you'll likely spend
more time standing around waiting for your SP to refill than fighting those
Uruks. This skill, coupled with Elf Rune III, will allow you to rapid-fire
Lightstrikes for a much longer period of time. Melee Gandalf simply doesn't
need it; he can spend his points on better things.
Magic: Max quickly.
Melee: 0, or maybe one point if you really want.
-Wise-
Your experience serves you well. +3% experience from enemies killed per level.
Another great skill to have. Faster level-ups are always good. Another "spare
point" skill. 1-3 points early, max at your leisure, for both types of Gandalf.
-Last Stand-
Even when you are at your end, you may return to strength. +8% chance per level
to return to life with 50% health. It's always a nice surprise to pop back up
from the ground and save yourself 500 gems for another Ent Water. It's equally
important for both types of Gandalf- Melee is in the face of danger more often
but has more HP; magic users are away from danger but have less HP. Max
eventually for both types.
-Wisdom of the Ages-
You are a master of ancient magic. All offensive spells do +2 damage per level.
This is an excellent skill to max after you're done with your main skills- for
both melee and magic wizards, extra damage is always helpful. Magic Gandalf
benefits from a stronger Lightstrike and fighter Gandalf gets a stronger Sword
of Power. Nice!
Magic: Max, quick.
Melee: Max, eventually.
-Servant of the Secret Fire-
All of Gandalf's spells are effectively one level higher.
Very important to get as soon as possible. With this single point you get an
added chunk of damage to Lightstrike, faster SP regen, higher chance to revive
yourself, slightly more items, gems and experience, higher stats, more
effective herbs and stronger attack and defense spells. Simply invaluable, get
as soon as you reach the required level.
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Adventure Walkthrough
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Now that you've got a build in your mind, get ready to send some orcs flailing!
Again, note that this walkthrough has SPOILERS in it. There, I've given you
plenty of warning. Now on to the first stage.
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Isengard-Flooded Fields
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Enjoy the screenshots. Take your first steps into Isengard. Now head forward,
killing the Crebain. It doesn't really matter if they get away in this level,
since there aren't many of them. Head north past all the debris, killing orcs
as you see them. They're not hard; Aragorn is here to help you out too. You
gain only 50% of the experience from enemies when an ally like him gets the
finishing blow, so don't just sit back and let him do all the work. Put that
sword to use and watch your experience meter(the green bottle in the lower
left-hand corner of the screen) shoot up. When you gain your first level,
distribute your 5 stat points and 1 skill point how you see fit, and continue
north west. Follow along past a forge. Sell whatever crap you don't need. You
can buy a whetstone or item here, but I recommend saving your gems. Continue
your killing spree as you go north and into the next map.
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Isengard-Tower Base
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After Saruman up in the tower is done talking, he'll leave you to his buddies,
who are here to give you a warm welcome. Show your gratitude by ripping them
into a dozen pieces. You will find a hero creature here(an enemy that's
discolored and much stronger than normal enemies, and usually drops a green
item). You can explore a bit and find a Ranger Hollow, but you probably can't
afford to buy any of the Ent Water yet(500 gems). While exploring, Aragorn
leaves to go to the caves under the tower and let you in the tower(it's locked
from the inside). Go straight up to the front entrance and invite yourself in.
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Tower Levels & Orthanc
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Good, now you're in the tower. Let's find Saruman and give him an ass kicking,
wizard-style. As you go up each flight to stairs, you'll be greeted by melee
Uruks, crossbowmen and kamikaze warriors. The kamikaze guys are the most
dangerous, as they often can kill you in one hit when they explode. So don't
let them! If you don't have Lightstrike yet, just whack them and hope they die
before they go boom. Continue exploring; grab goodies from vases and Warrior
Shrines whenever you can. There's a shrine too, if you'd like to sell stuff,
purchase useful herbs(your healing items) or buy stat or skill points.
Keep ascending the tower until you reach a floor with a forge. Be careful when
you head south in that room; you'll find a hero Uruk and be ambushed from
behind by several exploding orcs of doom. Play it safe; use Shield if you have
it. When you emerge from the room, you'll be greeted by Saruman. Some debris
falls from the ceiling and clogs up the area from whence you came, so no
fleeing! Now the battle starts. First, before you even think about touching
Saruman, walk right past him and up the little stairs at the middle north end
of the room. There is a chest to the left; pop it open and you get Saruman's
Palantir artifact. Neato! Head to the Boss Guide section for help on beating
Saruman.
Once you've made him cry like a little baby(a pretty OLD baby, at that), he'll
run up the stairs like the coward he is. After the cool cutscene, you're
rewarded with a satisfying death scream as Grima plunges to his filthy demise
at the bottom of the tower. Victory!
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Isengard-Campsite
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There are many camps like this strewn across the game. Explore a bit; talk to
some of your comrades if you'd like. You can find a Rune Forge here, where you
can buy special runes. Right now the runes aren't that great(only a measly +1
damage or melee armor), but it's good to buy it anyway so you'll be allowed to
buy the better runes later on. After you're finished here, head northeast to
exit.
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Rohan- Plains
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Ahh, this place is good for experience early in your trek. First, let's uncover
a secret area by walking north into a cave-like area. You'll pop out of the
other side, with a hero and a chest! Goody. When you're done, walk out and go
east past the house that spawns suicide uruks. Be careful not walk too close to
the house unless you want to be pelted by arrows. Next on our list of things to
do is go north past the house, killing the crossbow orcs if you have
Lightstrike. You'll meet some more guys up here and a chest, so raid as you see
fit. Now go back south until you get to a forge. You can either head northeast
to the exit of the level or go west to find some buildings, orcs, crebain,
kamikazes and a chest. Pillage at will.
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Rohan- Snowbourne Trail
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Walk northeast and then northwest across a bridge. Some orcs come to meet you;
show them your skills. There are two paths now; you can go northeast to a
dangerous optional area with wargs(wolves that do large damage) and items or a
safer route to the west, which is where your destination is. Either way, when
you're done killing, go west. You'll see a shrine once you're far enough. Start
heading south and follow the river. There is a chest to the west(hah! I rhymed,
gimme a cookie now) across a "bridge" of rocks in the water. Go to the far
south when you're done and you'll see another bridge of rocks. Head across it
and you'll find an old lady that mentions a shrine. Well, there it is in plain
sight(health shrine), so if you need then you can grab it. Go west and meet two
hero orcs(a melee and a ranged guy, be careful). When you're finished, go north
across another bridge and you'll find some ruins with Crebain on them. Go east
from here to find more enemies and a chest, then go back through the ruins to
exit.
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Rohan- Hills
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There is an optional "mini-quest" here, kind of like a long drawn-out battle.
If you want, you can go straight east killing Crebain as you go(or not) and
exit the level near the large rock. Or you could do the mini-quest and instead
of exiting, go north into a large cave entrance. You'll find yourself in a
watery area with a switch. The switch causes two shrines to appear(one health,
one spirit) in the large fountain area you passes earlier. Go back to the
fountain and you'll engage in a large battle. Kill all of them; be sure to
catch the wounded running ones too. Eventually you'll fight a few hero
creatures and then a cutscene will show you one last enemy emerging from the
cave: wait for him to come, then lay it on him. If you win the fight(not hard,
you've got shrines...) you're rewarded with two chests in the switch area. When
you're done, head to the next map.
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White Mountains- Hidden Trail
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This area is fairly straightforward. You’ve got a new foe now: goblins. There
are some orc drummers too, which can corrupt you and summon ringwraiths if you
let crebain get away. But never fear, Pippin is here! Follow the path through
the mountains, fighting goblins and wargs. Occasionally you’ll find a dead end
with an avalanche or some items; just go the other direction to get back onto
the main path. The level exit in the northeast.
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White Mountains- Narrow Pass
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A very short and straightforward level. Beware of crebain sitting on rocks on
in clusters on trees. There’s a shrine if you keep walking straight east. The
exit is in the northeast.
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White Mountains- Approach
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Wildmen attack you here. When you find 5 crates in a cluster, be careful
opening them because a drummer pops out of one. Continue following the mountain
trail, past all the dead mumakil(big elephants). You can find a cave entrance
guarded by goblins that contains a chest and some barrels. When you reach a
forge, go east to fight a half-troll. If you need help defeating it, go to the
Boss section. Use the warrior shrine if you need it. After the battle head east
through a narrow path on the mountainside. You can enter a dangerous optional
area via cave entrance if you want, or just keep going east through a mob of
wargs. The exit is right there.
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White Mountains- Campsite
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There’s a ranger hollow and a rune forge here. Buy some Ent Water if you can;
you’ll fight some nasty battles in Minas Tirith which is close. There’s a
person running through the tents shattering things and scaring out squirrels
and butterflies o.0 strange. Exit when you’re ready.
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Pelennor Beacon- Minas Entrance
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Yep, that’s the White City. Impressive, huh? Head out and get ready to spill
some organs. Now you have orcs with polearms rushing at you. Fortunately
they’re not too tough. You’ll get the occasional armored orc that’s harder,
though. In the far east side of the map you can find a ranger hollow and a
shrine for all your herb-buying needs. Stock up. When you’re ready, run up to
the entrance of Minas Tirith.
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Minas Tirith- Battlements
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Go up the stairs, talk to Denethor and Pippin, and go back out the way you came
in.
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Pelennor Beacon- Minas Entrance
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Go south where your soldier buddies are and help them out. After you kill all
the orcs in the area, Faramir will speak to you. After that, you have a new
task- light the beacons of Mt. Mindolluin. Exit the level to the southwest.
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Pelennor Battle- West Fields
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Go east, avoiding/killing the archers behind the fence. Go through the gap in
the fence and head west. Past a health shrine and a chest you’ll see a massive
battle being held above. Go help them out! The exit to the level is in the east.
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Pelennor Fields- Mt. Mindolluin
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Head east through a wrecked camp containing wildmen, archers and crebain. When
you reach the far wall, go north, kill some crebain, and hit the switch. Head
straight west and you’ll find another switch. Now walk northeast to greet some
wargs. After they’re dead, go north through a small gap in the fence to get
some kills and a chest- head back out when you’re finished. Southwest is
another gap you can walk through. Head further southwest to find a health pool
and enemies, or northeast to see the Witch King. Ignore him and exit to the
northeast.
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Pelennor Fields- Fork
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This can be a difficult level due to the archers and crebain everywhere.
Fortunately it’s a small one though. On the east side of the map is a ranger
hollow and a pair of Wildmen heroes. On the north section is a path fork- you
can go northeast or northwest. It doesn’t matter which side you do first, but
let’s just go northwest.
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Pelennor Beacon- West Beacon
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Kill the Wildman hero and run up the stairs. As you go, you’ll find a health
pool, a forge, a shrine and more of those annoying archers. At the top of the
stairs, strike the barrel to light the beacon. Head back down the stairs back
to the Fork.
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Pelennor Fields- Fork
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Before you go to the other path, go BACK to the BEGINNING of the Fork level.
Gwaihir leaves you a little present. Ok, now you can go up the mountain again.
Go to the east path.
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Pelennor Beacon- West Beacon
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There’s a shrine here to the left. Kill the twice orcs, then go up the stairs.
Heal after being bombarded by explosions, then continue up the mountain. Here
you’ll find a banner orc, which runs around frantically avoiding you- it
doesn’t attack. However, it gives a black strengthening aura to any enemy in
the radius, so be careful when dealing with them. Go up the stairs, being
cautious of the blue archers(they poison you). Strike the barrel to light the
beacon, then fight your way through the easy orcs on the way down.
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Pelennor Battle- North Fields
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A huge battle awaits you in this level. Follow the path zigzagging through the
fields. Avoid the archers behind the fence for now; you’ll get a chance to deal
with them later. You’ll find a tower and a chest as you go. At the bottom of
the level is a bonfire and some wargs feeding on dead horses. Feed on them,
then head east past another bonfire and a forge to an opening in the fence. Up
ahead you’ll see a large force of orcs gathering. Follow them, blazing through
enemies as you go, until you reach the top of the level where the banner orcs
are. First kill the banner orcs so the others aren’t as difficult. Now slowly
take on the rest of them, one by one until you can finish what's left. The exit
is north.
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Pelennor Fields- Campsite
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Whew, you get a break. Do what you need to do then exit to the east; don’t
forget the chest.
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Pelennor Beacon- Minas Entrance
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The battle has begun! March north and fight off the orcs near the trenches. You
can use the enemy’s ballistas against them! More helper soldiers are scattered
across the level, as well as orcs. To the northwest, you’ll find very heavily
armored orcs with huge shields. You can only hurt them when they’re moving or
from behind, so keep that in mind. Beware of the archers; some of them shoot
flaming arrows. If you need to heal, visit the shrine on the east side of the
area. Fight your way around the level and don’t forget to use the ballistas-
they do tremendous damage. When you’re ready to move on, head to the Minas
entrance.
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Minas Tirith- Battlements
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Looks like your help is needed here. Another massive battle is ahead. Go up the
stairs, killing the strong double-sword orc hero. The path is very
straightforward. Kill off the enemies spouting from the holes in the wall,
smash crates, and try to dodge the catapult fire from below. More of those
double-sword guys are scattered everywhere. There are a few archers hiding
behind boxes too. You have allies with you, but they can’t hold off the orcs
alone, so help them out. When you go down the final flight of stairs, a group
of soldiers informs you that the first wall of Minas Tirith has been breached.
Don’t let the second one fall! Exit southwest after using the forge.
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Minas Tirith- Gates
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Ahh, another good stage. Follow the soldiers through the door and north.
There’s a shrine to the right if you need it. Go west and you’ll meet a
formation of shield orcs and archers. These guys can be difficult to kill…use
hit-and-run tactics, and try to separate the shield orcs. When you’re done,
follow through the city, killing spawned orcs as you go. You’ll eventually
reach a huge room with a massive battering ram. Two half-trolls and a large
troll will greet you. There’s a health pool if you want it. If you need help
beating the trolls, refer to the Boss section. When you’ve won, go east and
Pippin will ask you to follow him.
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Minas Tirith- Tier Three
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Head up the stairs to meet a group of strong orcs. Pippin will help you out. To
the east is a shrine and a chest. Be careful when you open the chest, because
orcs will ambush when you do. When you’re ready go up the stairs. East is
another shrine and chest. There are a lot of enemies in that area as well, so
feel free to grab some experience. Head back south and follow the shield orcs
up the stairs. The next battle is either easy or hard. You can head northeast
and fight a difficult battle alone with Pippin, or go up the stairs above, kill
the double-sword orcs and open the chest. When you open the chest, a few
soldiers will come to your aid in the battle below. After all the enemies are
dead, go northeast to the exit.
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Minas Tirith- Tier Four
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Go up the stairs and head northeast to find the Witch King. After the cutscene,
go back over to the stairs you climbed earlier and head up the stairs north of
you. Three blue archers greet you, so greet them back. Follow the short path
around to the exit, dodging catapult blasts.
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Minas Tirith- Streets
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Simply run straight northeast, ignoring the soldiers and boxes that you pass,
to avoid all the explosives that fall.
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Minas Tirith- Court of Kings
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Another resting spot. Heal up, then go east to fight Denethor. Refer to the
Boss section for a strategy to defeat him. When you win, exit the level the
same way you came in. Now you must travel to the Black Gate to diverge Sauron’s
forces and allow Frodo semi-safe passage through Morder…on to Ithilien.
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Ithilien- North
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Ooh, lots to do in this level…behind the large waterfall to the north is a
secret cave where you’ll find a village and a generous guy who gives you a
random rune, so check it out. There are lots of half-trolls in this level, so
be careful. You might notice a tree with a large amount of butterflies…even if
you didn’t notice it, head to the extreme northeast corner of the level to find
Galadriel’s Lock, an artifact. There is a forge and several chests in this
level, so be sure to leech all the experience and items from this place before
you leave. The exit is in the southeast corner of the map.
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Ithilien- Black Road
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Again, lots to do here. Head up past the dead trees and orcs. Beware of
hard-to-spot crebain. In the east is an orc campsite with a large amount of
chests, and in the west is another campsite with a shrine. Beware when you open
the chests or head for the shrine, because orcs spring up everywhere when you
do. Be careful especially of the guys with throwing weapons; they sort of home
in on you. When you want to exit, go straight north, being cautious of the hero
orcs.
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Ithilien- Black Gate
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The final level in Gandalf’s game. And a difficult one, too. First off, beware
of the second stump you come across, because crebain sit on it AND live inside
of it…so be very careful when you get near it or smash it open. Head east to
fight some more baddies and find a ranger hollow in the maze of towers. Now
head back to the fork at the beginning of the level and go north this time.
Destroy the hero creatures and his friends, then go farther north. Be careful
when approaching the large black structure to the left, as it is home to some
nearly invisible crebain. When you’re ready, keep going north and you’ll see
Aragorn duking it out with the Mouth of Sauron. Then you’ll realize your escape
path is blocked by shield orcs. It’s possible to get by them, but it’s very
dangerous so don’t bother. Three hero enemies appear to kill you, so kill them
first. Then two half-trolls enter the “arena”. After you deal with them, a
Ringwraith steps in. If you took too long killing the previous enemies, you may
have to fight more than one. Refer to Boss strategies for advice on killing
them. During your battle, you can go down the stairs to get a bit of extra
room. When the Nazgul is dead, the shield orcs disappear and you’ve won. Head
east and you’ll be informed that Frodo succeeded in destroying the Ring of
Power. Then the game ends.
Congratulations! Enjoy the credits and your rank. Hopefully it isn’t Goblin
Meat. Now go play it again on a harder difficulty, or try a bonus map.
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Boss/Miniboss Guide
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Need help with a particular enemy? Look here for answers.
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Saruman
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First off, GET THE PALANTIR. Ok now Saruman has 4 different moves. He'll throw
a blast of fire at you, which is easily dodged. He'll smack you with his staff
when you're close, which you can defend against using the Shield spell. Saruman
also has Shield(it's red), which you can break after inflicting a bit of damage
upon it. Saruman's deadliest attack is a blue magic orb that flies around the
room. You can tell when he summons it because of his hand gesticulation. That's
your cue to get out of the way; run diagonally away from the orb or it'll hit
you full force, and it hurts. As a magic user Gandalf, it can be a bit hectic
dodging his fireballs while dodging the orb while throwing Lightstrikes, so be
sure to keep a healthy amount of herbs. A melee Gandalf can activate his Shield
and Sword of Power before attacking. When you see him call the blue orb, stop
attacking and move out of the way temporarily. It can be difficult to find the
right position to dodge the orb but you'll the get the hang of it. After
Saruman takes a bit of damage(it's actually not that much), you win.
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Half-Troll
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These are the big ugly...things with clubs. When you encounter one, immediately
turn on your Shield to absorb the heavy amounts of damage it dishes out. All of
the troll's attacks will knock you down and leave you open to other enemy
attacks, so be careful. The half-troll's attacking speed has a lot of lag to
it...you can wait for him to swing, then keep moving around him in a circle and
he won't hit you, because by the time he strikes, you'll be out of the way of
the targeted area. So dodge around him, firing Lightstrikes or melee attacks
when you have enough time to do so and get out of the way. Half-trolls have a
large amount of HP; perhaps 400-500 on Normal mode. It can take a while, but be
patient and he'll finally drop.
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Troll
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This thing will EAT YOU for lunch if you're not careful. It's about twice as
big and twice as strong as a Half-Troll- that is very bad. Despite its huge
size, it is very fast and usually can catch up to you if you flee. You cannot
use the above strategy on Trolls; their clubs are far too big to escape at
close range. Your best bet is to keep him offscreen(but make sure you can still
see a portion of him). Throw Lightstrikes in his direction(you'll be able to
hear the electric sound effect when it hits). Even for a melee Gandalf, you may
need to resort to this strategy to defeat them. As soon as I find out a better
way to kill these monstrosities, I'll put it here.
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Denethor
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This guy isn't much of a boss. He walks around the room, lighting torches on
fire and throwing them at Faramir, who's laying on top of a large stack of
wood. Simply turn on your shield spell, stay away from Denethor, and
block/attack the torches that he throws at the wood. Soldiers will try to
attack you but they're not too difficult. If you need food, there a few vases
scattered in the room that you could try to look in. Don't be afraid to take
time out to kill soldiers or get food; the wood takes many torches to burn
fully. Just be patient, and when you've blocked enough torches, Denethor gets
frustrated I guess and walks into a pyre, jumps off the balcony of Minas Tirith
and falls to his humiliating death. Poor idiot.
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Nazgul
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REEEEEEEEEEE!!! *cough* ok sorry. Nazgul, or Ringwraiths, appear once the Eye
of Sauron(red orb that shows up in the top right hand corner of the screen)
gets large enough and turns black. You can also see them in Amon Sul if you
have it. They are VERY deadly foes that you should avoid at all costs until
you're level 20 or so. Unless, of course, you're at the Black Gate and you're
forced to fight one. So bust out the Lightstrike(even you fighter Gandalfs) and
pulverize him. A lvl 5 Lightstrike kills him in two or three hits on Normal. A
lower level one will take a much longer time, though. Be very careful not get
in melee range on them, because they do horrifyingly large damage AND poison
you to boot. So stay away, let him chase you around a tree or something, and
beam him when you can. If you don't have Lightstrike at all, then tough luck.
Level up, and GET IT. Fighting them at a low level in melee combat is
impossible without using an exploit.
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Items
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Here are some ideas for items you should aim for.
Headgear: Crowns have a nice +5 courage. Critical Armor is helpful against
trolls but not absolutely necessary.
Cape: Vestments can be worn by Gandalf, and they have a great 10% exp bonus.
Robes also have an exp bonus. Look for mods with stat, speed, or SP bonuses.
Neckwear: It's possible to get spirit regen and Wisdom on neckwear, so shoot
for whatever you think would suit you best. For fighter Gandalfs, you can find
a surprisingly large amount of warrior-like stat boosts on clasps and such,
with the right mods.
Sword: Glamdring is excellent, but don't count on finding one; uniques are far
more rare in RotK. For a mage Gandalf, anything Consecrated is excellent for
the +5 HP per slain foe. Consecrated also gives Sunburst for fighters. A high
critical% would be helpful since Gandalf has no +critical% skill unlike other
characters.
Staff: Magestaves have +8 spell damage which is very nice. You can get
Nightburst, which is cool, on staves through the prefix "Storm".
Armor: Gandalf can't wear the heaviest items; he can only wear armors up to
about Lorica quality. The prefix "Adamant" adds an crapload of melee armor, so
watch out for that. It's possible to get Sunburst on armor, too.
Boots: "Horseman's" wrappings are neat since they add so much speed(Gandalf is
rather slow due to no footspeed skill). Courage, Strength, damage, large
Treasure Find and even critical% can be found on footwear.
Gloves: "Blood Pirate's" adds 45% Treasure Find, so that can help even if
you're not a treasure hunter. Other small things like SP, accuracy, and other
stats are easily found on gloves.
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Runes & Whetstones
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Runes are bought at Rune Forges for varying prices. You can stick them in your
weapons, and when you're ready to exchange them for different ones you can pop
'em back out at your will.
Dwarf Rune I - Dwarfmetal +1 Melee Armor
Fairly useless, even early on.
Dwarf Rune II - Sharpness +1 Damage
See above. It's better than nothing, though.
Dwarf Rune III - The Forge +5 Critical Hit Damage
I guess it could be useful if you have a large amount of critical%, otherwise
it's useless.
Dwarf Rune IV - Mountain +5 HP per slain foe
Excellent for almost any character. Two of these paired up with Consecrated
weapons can save you many herbs.
Elf Rune I - Orc Foe +2 damage to Orcs
Not really worth it.
Elf Rune II - Nimblefoot +10% dodge
Not really worth it, unless you have a lot of other +dodge% gear.
Elf Rune III - Sacred Heart +2 Spirit regen
INCREDIBLY useful. Two of these on a mage Gandalf with other +spirit regen gear
is GODLY.
Elf Rune IV - Meditative Stand still to heal oneself
When you're out of herbs and no shrines are in sight, pop one of these in a
weapon, go grab a snack and when you come back, you're all set. Unfortunately,
two of these does not double the regen rate.
Man Rune I - White City +2 Missile Armor
Not worth it.
Man Rune II - Nature +10 HP per herb, food health doubles
Kind of cool. Use it if you feel like it.
Man Rune III - Might of Man +1 damage, +15 HP
Probably not worth it.
Man Rune IV - Rune of Fire +3 fire armor, Flaming, Fireburst
Neat to have on your weapon as a fighter, random explosions of death is a good
idea ^.^
Morgul Rune I - Orc Doom-King +4 damage to Orcs, Corrupt. -50% corruption
resistance
...no.
Morgul Rune II - Dire Fear 30% Knockback, Corrupt. -60% corruption resistance
Depends on if you like knockback or not.
Morgul Rune III - Blackness +5 all stats, Corrupt. -70% corruption resistance
Stick two of these on your weapons in a level with no crebain and it's not too
bad.
Buy Whetstones at Forges or Rune Forges. They are permanent and always in your
inventory and always in effect. They only apply to weapon damage, so mage
Gandalf players do not need them at all. They're great for fighters, though.
Used Whetstone: +1 damage
Ordinary Whetstone: +2 damage
Common Whetstone: +3 damage
Fine Whetstone: +4 damage
Superior Whetstone: +5 damage
Dwarven Whetstone: +6 damage
Adamant Whetstone: +7 damage
Mithril Whetstone: +8 damage
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Version History
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v1.0 - 11/28/03 - FAQ is finished. A “Tips ‘n Tricks” section may be added next
version.
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Wrap-up
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First, let's get this out of the way. The following sites can use my guide.
Gamefaqs.com
Neoseeker.com
Thanks goes to...
cJayc for posting my guide
Griptonite for making this excellent game, and TTT as well ^_^
Thalcos and Horklump for being so patient with our eager little selves
You, the reader!
If you'd like to use this FAQ on your site or if you have comments or
questions, you can reach me via AIM at spikyfire5 or on the gamefaqs message
boards and I can help you there.
Thanks for reading my FAQ. Byebyes now.